I Hope To be There: Superflash

21. Flashback (P A R T II)

3  H O U R S    B E F O R E

Barry POV
"Barry?!" An alarmed Cisco blares as I answer my phone.

"Yeah??" I ask, concerned.

"There's been a breach! A-a meta got away. I don't know how...I just-" He blurts out and Im fully alert now.

"Wait, Cisco, slow down..." I stop him and Iris looks at me, worried. Joe turns the TV down.

"Where? Who?" I ask trying to contain Cisco's panicky matter.

"The Mist!" He shouts and flashbacks of the man who could transform himself into toxic gas display on my mind.

"He's in Mercury Labs. I think he's trying to feed himself some chemical to make himself more toxic...I don't know...just...just get your ass there, now!" Cisco informs me and I'm about to suit up, when I remember that I can't run. Not while the V9 is still in my system. The blue lighting will show behind me and I bet Cait will force it out of my system as soon as she finds out.

"Barry? Barry, you there?" Cisco questions.

"Be right there..." I whisper and hang up. The desperation is creeping up on me. Save Iris or save the people of Central City...I make my choice.
I take a cab to Star Labs.
---
"Man, what the hell took you so long?!" Cisco scolds me as I arrive. I scratch my head.

"Sorry...I was busy." He shakes his head in dissapointed, muttering something about me being the fastest man alive and still being late to everything.

"Wait...who's vitals are those?" I frown as I watch another set of vitals next to mine.

"Kara's." He says and I brake into a cold sweat. My heart skips a beat and I hold my breath. "Are you kidding me? You let Kara go, Cisco? She doesn't even know what this guy can do!" I shoit at him.

"Well, what the hell was I supposed to do? Iris will beat me up if I let Wally go. And you weren't here!" He shouts back and I stare at Kara's vitals intently.

"I'm here, Cisco. But I don't see anybody." With the help of CCTV cameras we see Kara standing there with her red cape swinging behind her in Mercury Labs.

We're silent for a moment and out of nowhere a mist of green smoke punches her. She falls backward and proceeds to take flight.

Before she can leave the ground though, the mist grabs her feet and smashes her against the tarmac. I can feel the lightning behind my eyes...

I feel the impulse of running to Kara but Iris' death keeps showing on my head and that keeps me from doing anything. Fear keeps me from doing anything.

"Dammit. Someone care to explain how the hell is a green cloud beating my ass?" She remarks.

"It's poisoned gas, Kara. Don't breathe it." I speak. Shouldn't have.

"Barry? How about you give me hand instead of barking instructions." She demands. I swallow hard. Cisco looks at me, suspiciously but the only thing I can do is evade his glare.

"Kara, watch out!" We're distracted for a moment and we said it a little to late. The Mist grabs Kara by the throat and starts strangling her. The poison gas runs through her nostrils and her vitals spike up.
She manages to freeze the air around her creating a cristalizade cloud and she brakes free.
"Kara, you need to get back. Now!" I shout and it's obvious she's having difficulty breathing but being the badass she is, she doesn't obey. My heart starts beating even faster than it usually does.